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Earthquakes: the
movers and shakers
An earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter
scale generally occurs every year, killing about
ten thousand people worldwide. If you look at the
list of the countries with a history of the world’s
deadliest earthquakes, you will find China appearing
repeatedly.
Richter scale
The Great Tangshan earthquake, 1976
Over a million people lay asleep, unaware of the coming
disaster, when an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 shook the
city of Tangshan, China, at 3.42 a.m. on July 28, 1976.
The earthquake lasted 14–16 seconds. Fifteen hours later,
there was a strong aftershock of magnitude 7.1.
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, God
Poseidon was called the
earth shaker. When he got
angry, he would strike the
earth with his trident,
leading to earthquakes
that drowned cities and
caused shipwrecks.
I hate bad
hair days!
TICKER Some eighty per cent of the earthÊs quakes occur along the Pacific Ocean, in an area called the
movers and shakers
An earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter
scale generally occurs every year, killing about
ten thousand people worldwide. If you look at the
list of the countries with a history of the world’s
deadliest earthquakes, you will find China appearing
repeatedly.
Richter scale
The Great Tangshan earthquake, 1976
Over a million people lay asleep, unaware of the coming
disaster, when an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 shook the
city of Tangshan, China, at 3.42 a.m. on July 28, 1976.
The earthquake lasted 14–16 seconds. Fifteen hours later,
there was a strong aftershock of magnitude 7.1.
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, God
Poseidon was called the
earth shaker. When he got
angry, he would strike the
earth with his trident,
leading to earthquakes
that drowned cities and
caused shipwrecks.
I hate bad
hair days!
TICKER Some eighty per cent of the earthÊs quakes occur along the Pacific Ocean, in an area called the
